The Journey
by StoryNerd13
Summary: Nico di Angelo's journey to the Underworld to meet his father, Hades. Takes place after The Titan's Curse and before The Battle of the Labryinth.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone who's reading this! So to get the intro rolling, I am new to FanFiction and this would be my first FanFiction (yay!) and I am hoping all goes well. THE PLOT OF THIS STORY: After _The Titans Curse_, Rick Riordan didn't really explain what happened to Nico, and left out a lot of explaining( I am hoping he will get to in _The House of Hades_, but, as seeing that_ The House of Hades_ is quote, "Coming in Fall 2013," I need to make my own answers for the time being.) There were a lot of things that Rick didn't answer, like why Nico suddenly assumed a darker, more important personality (I'm not complaining) and how Nico got to the Underworld in the first place. (Rick Riordan said through Annabeth in _The Battle of the Labryinth_, "Well, there might be ways from the Labryinth down _into_ the Underworld, but I'm..." You guys get the point.) Anyways, the goal for this story is to answer some questions about Nico's (first) journey to the Underworld, and to not neglect this story, because I hate it when people do that to their FanFictions.

P.S. I am a big Nico di Angelo fan, so he's going to get the undivided spotlight in this FanFiction.

P.P.S. This story will be told from Nico's first person perspective, just like a _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ book is told from Prcy's first person perspective.

Chapter I

As I ran through the thick, forested woods of the camp, the light was almost zero and I couldn't see almost anything. Was that a creek up ahead? Maybe I could get some fresh water. As I ran, the branches of the trees seemed to be reaching out to be to grabme. Spooky. The river/creek thing was almost a few feet away. I ran with the rest of my strength, but suddenly I tripped on a root of a tree. I know, "Wow, that was pretty dumb of you to trip on a root," but I swore that that root hadn't been there before I was within 1 foot of the tree, almost like it was trying to trip me. I tried to get back up onto my feet, but all my energy was gone. I passed out stone-cold on the muddy flooring of leaves. In my dream, I was on a familiar grey-black shoreline. The cavern ceiling glistened up ahead. It seemed relaxing and accustomed, but the weird thing was I had never been here in my life. Or at least I think I wasn't. I was about to yell for help when suddenly, a form shimmered before me.

"Bianca?" I asked hopefully.

"No, my lord. My name is Minos."

"Minos…" I thought for a minute. That name sounded so familiar in Greek Mythology… could it be? "The King of Crete Minos? The guy with the Minotaur?"

The ghost winced as if the memory was painful. "Yes."

"But, if you were alive all those millions of years ago…"

"I'm dead, like all of the people here," he snapped.

Panic seized my throat. "But if I'm here… "

"No, you're just here in a dream, you're not dead."

"Oh," I replied, in an 'I knew that' sort of tone.

Minos scowled. "So, are you going to just stand there or are you going to do something?"

"Um, what do you want me to do?"

"Wake up, of course! And get your butt over here in real life!"

"Why would I want to do that if this is the place of dead people?"

Minos face-palmed. "Because your father has asked me to show you the way here, my lord," he said in a steely tone.

My heart leapt into my throat. Could my dad be claiming me?"My father?"

"Yes," Minos carried on in the steely tone,"your father. Now he wants to see you, so you have to get over here _now_!"

"But, how would I get here?" I asked. "Where is this place? And where-"

"Uh, hello?! This is the UNDERWORLD, if you haven't noticed! As for the way over here…"

My dream started to fade. One more minute of talking was all I had at the most.

"Yes, yes?" I pushed for an answer.

"You will just have to follow your instincts and accept your powers. I will be with you shortly, just enter the labyrinth and find your way through to here."

"But I-" The dream faded, and I woke up with a start. I was nowhere near where I had fallen asleep.

The end for Chapter I! How did you guys love, like or (hopefully not) hate it? Review please!

-StoryNerd13


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys, and welcome back to my FanFiction! I have gotten a review, and I think that the questions should be answered.

NotsoSugarQueen- Comment: _Pretty decent for a first try, Nico seemed a teensy bit OC because I just feel like he'd be really angry about Bianca, but still a good job_

Answer: I see your point about the OC-ness now, and Nico would have been more angry about Bianca's death- but remember- The Titan's Curse and The Battle of the Labyrinth were like 4, 5 months apart. A lot can happen over 4 or 5 months, and stuff can happen. I don't want to spoil the plot, but while the OC-ness wasn't really intended, (after reading the first chapter for the second time, Nico sounded a bit like Percy, being all like, "um, what?" and obtuse), the non-anger was. In a bit, I'll get to that, so one more thing to note in a kind of quote-ish way: Wounds that are healing can be infected again by germs that take advantage. And with that weird, kinda-not-really-Annabeth-ish comment, Back to the story!

Chapter II

I opened my heavy eyelids, and instantly felt a sharp, searing pain against my upper calf. The wound was fresh, I could tell that much. It didn't hurt that bad, but the scary thing was: that there was a mysterious neon-green pigment trickling from the wound. Poison. I instinctively knew the feeling even before I saw the gash. I needed help, and quick. If I didn't get aid soon, well, let's just say it wouldn't be good. Just then I realized how alone I was in this world, how no one was there to be there for me. And it was all because of Percy. He had killed my sister, and I was obliged to avenge her death. The pain was even worse now, I couldn't tell if it was from the poison intensifying or my venomous thoughts. My consciousness was starting to slip in and out of my grasp. Maybe I was hallucinating from the pain, but I saw faces emerging from the trees, discerning looks and evil smiles all around.

"Please.." I croaked, but they just grinned with delight as I passed out cold.

When I woke again, I was tied up. Struggling for freedom, my arms almost popped out of their sockets. The restrains were tight with the anticipation of an escape. Whoever did the binding must have been strong. The weird part: I was tied up with grasses, vines, flowers, and a bunch of other foliage I couldn't name. The organic ropes were remarkably strong, and they fastened me tight to a gnarled, old olive branch. The even weirder part: around me were 3 teenagers, all grinning with smug faces.

"What…" I murmured at the sights. My binds still held strong. "Who are you?" I found the courage to ask.

"Hmm," the girl with the amber, wispy hair muttered. "Our hostage lives."

"Don't be rude, Lelia," the girl in the green gossamer dress chided. "He is our hostage, but he is also a key, a key to our fortune. At least after we sell him for ransom."

"Sell me for ransom- what are you talking about?" I asked, twisting my hand in circles, desperately trying to come up with a plan.

"I told you he wouldn't know what you guys were talking about," the shorter, more stout girl with a polka-dotted shirt muttered. "

"Oh, he realizes," the girl named Lelia commented and turned to me. "Don't you, _Nico di Angelo_?"

I squirmed as best I could in my plant-ropes. My hand was free now, if I just had a weapon or a knife or something to cut myself free… "No, I don't, what's going on?" I inquired.

"Hmm, oh you'll find out." She smirked and addressed the girl with the amber hair,"Aelia! Tell Luke and his band of monsters to swing around to San Francisco! We can ship him there, and tell Luke to ship us the drachmas in return! Last time with that son of Apollo, they "forgot."

"Hm! Just because you're the tree nymph, Felia, you think you can boss all of us around!"

"Yeah, I can! You're the mushroom nymph, and no one wants to listen to you, so go tell Luke! Go! Now!"

Aelia disappeared in a poof of red and brown dust, and Lelia sighed.

"So, you guys are nymphs?" I asked, unbinding my ands slowly from the grasses, which were mysteriously withering and snapping because of the lack of moisture around me. I hoped the nymphs didn't notice.

"Yes, son of hades, we are nymphs, not that you would care," she countered. "Our patron used to be your stepmother, but Kronos has given us a far better deal."

"Deal? What deal? And what did you call me? Son of-"

"Deal for your possession, of course! Oh, I see your father's plan very clearly, though you may not. The big three are very clever, hiding their children so the Titan army won't take advantage of them, but Kronos is much wiser, and he grows stronger every day."

"The big three? What are you talking about?" I demanded.

Lelia sighed with exasperation. "Boy, you _really are_ dumb, aren't you! Did you learn _any_ Greek mythology at that camp?"

I was ashamed to admit that I hadn't, since Annabeth was the teacher and she had fallen off of a cliff saving me and my sister from that manticore, Dr. Thorn.

"No, I haven't," I said, keeping the conversation going as more and more foliage dried up and snapped, breaking my restrains.

"Lelia, be nice," Felia chided again. "His ignorance is a plus! Now Kronos can brainwash- I mean, _tell him the truth_, easier."

"Uh," I pretended not to notice the "brainwash" part of her speech. "So what exactly are you going to do to me?"

"Haven't you been listening?" Lelia asked. "We're going to sell you to Kronos for ransom!"

"Ah yes," Felia commented. "The titans are paying big bucks for demigods like you, and you'll be very useful to his forces once you turn 16. The only problem is Percy Jackson, that _upstart_."

"Percy Jackson? Son of Poseidon?" I asked, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"yes, yes. That Percy Jackson." My mind raced as I determined whether this Titan army was a good idea or not. But if my father was a god… I couldn't just stab him in the back and join the opposing army. Besides, the whole "brainwash" thing unnerved me.

"So… why are all your names ending in –lia?" I struggled for dialogue so my binds would finally break and I could flee. I wondered how I could overpower the nymphs if I got into a fight with them. I was unarmed, while Felia had a wicked-looking dagger strapped to her side and even though Lelia was unarmed like me, I suspected that she would be a good fighter.

"Ask our mother," Lelia sighed, "She named all us sisters with the same suffix. I don't know why."

Felia sighed too. "hm," She murmured in agreement. "Where's Aelia? She should be back by now. It's getting pretty boring just staring at this dude."

"Yeah, it is," Lelia said.

Then, for a scary second, I felt something. Some instinct deep inside me, a buzz in my ears. Someone had met the final end. Someone had died.

"What- what was that?" I asked nervously, my voice meeker than usual. "What was that noise?"

"What?" Felia and Lelia said simultaneously. "What was what?'

"That-that noise. The buzz. Didn't you guys…"

They apparently didn't hear the buzz and thought I was lying to distract them, which, in hindsight, wouldn't have been a bad plan, but they still didn't believe me. Suddenly, Aelia appeared in another cloud of brown and red. She seemed out of breath.

"Aelia? What happened?" Felia demanded, sounding more angry than empathetic.

"A demigod… I had to attack him."

"WHAT?!" Felia and Lelia cried.

"But our presence is secret! If the demigod got away, then…"

"Don't worry, he didn't. I… you know…" She drew a line across her neck.

"Oh." Lelia and Felia didn't seem fazed, as if this wasn't the first killing they had to do, which gave me the creeps, but I didn't have any time to think about it. My binds broke then and there, and I fell to the ground.

The nymphs gasped and wailed, "Kill him!"

Just then, I ran for my life towards a pile of rocks that vaguely looked like either a fist or a pile of horse droppings.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys! I know it's been a day or two since Ives updated, but here we go. We're going to get into Nico's anger to Percy now, because things can happen when you're alone with bad memories and hardships to come.

Chapter III

The lush, green, organic landscape of the camp's forest faded around me as I descended into the gray, confined corridors that were under the pile of rocks, which was fine with me. As least to my knowledge, those nymphs were still above me on the surface, waiting to capture me. Why did they want to sell me for ransom? Was I important or something? And what could nymphs get out of selling a demigod? A new tree or something? Most importantly, they called me a son of Hades. I remembered the information I had gotten from the Mythomagic wiki, Hades was the god of the underworld, and had something like 4000 attack power, 5000 if your opponent attacked first. Mythomagic was useless now that I was in the real world. It was a silly game from my childhood, I didn't need it. I made a silent vow to myself that the first chance I got, I would throw any pieces or figurines that I had away, but it had to be a final end, somewhere that no one would ever be able to find the pieces- whoa. I was so deep in thought, I almost tripped on a fine wire planted on the floor like a trap. A cave with traps? Hm. Maybe some demigods had come in here to trap monsters or something. Now that I thought about it, this place didn't seem much like a cave, it had remnants of humanity, like people had been here before. Literally. There were skeletons all over the place, bleached white from age. They looked like they had been here for about 50 years, and they had died of starvation, at least some. Some had died from- wait. How did I know all that? I hadn't been there when they died. How did I know what the cause of death was, how did I know when they died, their age at the time of death, the time when they died, the date, what- I stopped myself before I went insane. Now, I'd like to say that at this time, I didn't think much of this experience, and I just calmly marched on through the cave-corridors, but I was freaking out. First my dreams of the quest, and Bianca dying, and her soul in the pavilion, and- how did I know that she went to a pavilion? What? I started to panic with the thoughts of the nymphs above me, Dr. Thorn and others like him, and the fact that I was unarmed, in the spiraling darkness leading to nowhere. I had no food, no supplies, no weapons, and I was alone. If I didn't do something soon, I would end up like one of the skeletons on the floor. The even stranger thing- I wasn't scared. I mean, for a few seconds I was, but now, there was something else fueling my desire to go through this place. Anticipation. Destiny. Whatever I was doing here, I was supposed to be here. I was supposed to travel in this place. I was supposed to be going wherever I was going to, and it was my fate to go there. I pressed on. Not long after I left the skeleton corridor, I came across another trap. There was another wire, and shifty-looking tiles covering the ground. I went the other direction. Soon, I came across another corridor with human remains covering the ground. I tried to be careful around them, but halfway through making my way across the room, I stepped on an arm. CRUNCH I cringed with the noise echoing in the confined area. I withdrew my foot and walked off of the skeleton-infested floor. I was about to leave, but I froze solid when I heard noises. They sounded like dry bones rattling, coming together and forming undead bodies. I realized what was happening all too late. I turned around in horror as I saw the skeletons rising to their feet, growing grey flesh and forming tattered, ragged clothing from all time periods. I took a step back and was about to bolt. My thoughts were filled with horror as I thought of when I ran into the woods. The skeletons were brought by Percy to kill me, could these be the same... I gulped and was going to run, but my body was frozen tight with fear. They had swords of bone, and they were polished to perfection. I was still unarmed.

"Uh- I- m!" I cowered in front of their cold, unexpressed empty eye sockets. They didn't move. Or make any attempt to say anything. They just stood there, staring at me. I stared back, partially in fear, but I realized they didn't have a murderous look like the ones brought by Percy. They looked curious almost. Inquisitive. Wanting something. But what? What did they want? I decided to ask them.

"Uh, hi?" I quivered. A usual greeting for anyone. They still stared at me.

"what-what do you want?" I asked, my voice a third of what it was. They did nothing, and I might have been hallucinating, but could swear I heard a raspy voice in my head,

"Commands, my lord."  
"Whoa. Did you just talk in my mind?"

"Yes, my lord." The skeleton grinned at me with his grey, blank face.

"So, you're not trying to kill me?" I asked suspiciously.

"No, why would I? The raspy voice whispered again.

"Ohkkk…" I answered. "What's going on? Why are there undead skeletons talking to me in my mind?" I suddenly felt queasy and sat down on some of the rubble.

"He draws near, my lord."

That caught me off guard. "Who draws near?" "and what's with this 'lord' stuff?"

"Minos is here to-" the skeleton's voice was interrupted by a flash of purple light.

Ooohohooo… cliffhanger… JK JK. But yeah. This chapter was kind of short, but you know. No one reviewed chapter II, so… I didn't have any sense of direction. That's why you need to hit that review button. Slapit! Smack it like Percy would slap Kronos! (Srry 4 th violence!) :D


	4. Chapter 4

Hi guys, sorry for not updating, and this is going to be a really short chapter, but bear with me here. I need to play Minecraft. XD

_"Announcing Minos, King of Crete, founder of the Labyrinth, Judge of Eternal Torment," _a raspy voice like those of the skeletons said.

"Yes, yes," A familiar voice said. The mist started swarmed around a certain point, forming a figure in the gloom, and even though he was transparent, I could make out a He had cruel eyes, a slim, wiry form, hair that was grey with age, and tattered yet somehow dignified robes.

"Minos," I familiarized. This was the spirit that had spoken to me in my dreams.

"Yes, my lord," he muttered, not looking too happy about the 'lord' thing.

"Why are you calling me lord?" I asked inquisitively.

Minos suddenly developed a _very_ irritated look on his face. He stepped forward as if to smack me, but just simply said in a tone that tried to mask his anger, "Your _father_ has sent me here to collect you for _proper_ training. In my day, demigods trained themselves how to fight, and they learned quickly, too." His irritated glare seemed to bear a hole right through my chest. "He has asked me to treat you with the proper respect," Minos continued, "and that means calling you lord. Happy?"

I nodded.

"Good. Now, we have to find the entrance to the Underworld from down here," he mused, talking about the caverns like they reminded him of a bad experience. "The Labyrinth- "

"Wait. Did you just say the Labyrinth? Like the one Theseus went through? The one that they kept- that you kept the Minotaur in?"

If Minos's face could have gotten any more irate, it did. "Yes," he replied in a steely tone. "But you need not worry. That Jackson kid killed the Minotaur a few years ago, when your father was blam-" he caught himself and paused. "Yes, it's the one that Theseus went through. The one that Daedalus, that cursed upstart, made."

"Hold on, did you say Jackson killed the Minotaur? Like _Percy_ Jackson?"

"Yes, that Jackson," Minos said dismissively, as the irked look slowly faded from his face.

I took a step back apprehensively. How did Minos know that Bianca had been killed?

"Oh, yes, I watched Jackson murder your sister in cold blood," Minos continued, "he didn't even hesitate."

As Minos spoke, I felt a cold feeling forming in my stomach. How could Percy have done this? He had seemed so nice. So caring. So knowledgeable. And yet Minos knew of how Bianca was killed exactly, which only confirmed my senses. I remembered the night when I heard that familiar, sickening buzz in my ears. When I told my bunkmates in the Hermes cabin of the droning, they just cocked their heads quizzically and rushed me to the Big House's infirmary. I told Chiron of the buzzing, too, and his face turned pale. I had never seen the centaur so afraid, yet he dismissed the case as nothing, and we all went back to sleep, but that night my dreams of her death came.

"-a prototype Talos was the cause, as you know, but Jackson _told_ your sister to save the group. If not for his persuasion skills, she would still be alive. Alas, you are the only sur-"

"Wait", I interrupted. "Did you say Percy told Bianca to die? And she did it for the sake of the group?" I asked, my upper lip trembling.

"Yes," Minos replied with a smug smile. "He did."

Again, so sorry for the short chapter but I needed to post _something_. So Minos is manipulating Nico and he is believing him. DUN DUN DUN


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry I haven't been updating for so long, but there has been Captainsparklez modded survival to watch (yah captainsparklez who's with me, fan club? :D) and other stuff to do. I also read 'an interview with Rick Riordan' on his website and he kind of dissed FanFiction, so that put a damper on my spirits for this. No offence, Rick Riordan, but the way you said that FanFIction was weird how they manipulated your characheters and it's like a house or something, that got me right here. *taps heart* And I know now that Riordan doesn't read FanFiction, so yeah. I don't know why I am talking to him in this. Moving on.

OMG guys, I have gotten so many reviews! This is awesome. You guys are the best! So to answer questions, here we go:

Drea dark:

_nice, but nico would be angry and heated this is right after his  
fight with percy more things about bianca should be in it. You seem nice you  
can date my bro_

_those are some evil nymphs i would go burn them down later_

_i like violence, nico thunks percy brought the skeltons didn't he  
relize the skeltons were trying to kill percy_

_he should face a gorgoan or a rouge skelton that won't obey him_

Ooh. I like your ideas. Except the dating your bro part. Sorry, I'm single by choice. :D No offence. The gorgons are kind of out since Percy already took up that part of the monster world, but maybe something else at the same skill level. The rouge skeleton, maybe *mischievous smile* ] No spoilers, but that is the best idea I have gotten so far, so I will maybe incorporate it. Maybe. But much later on in the story. Remember that The Titan's Curse and The Battle of the Labyrinth were about what, 6, 7, months apart, so yeah. That's a lot of time for a lot of chapters. XD

Guest:

_What is going to be his reaction to his dad ? This is good so far._

Ooooh, mysterious. I already am writing the chapter where he meets Hades mentally, so I hope that that one is going to be a goody. I think Nico should face more monsters though for the time being. Maybe like 3? IDK. I think Nico can handle that much. At least. But then again, he's never been really trained, so yeaaah. Maybe he should get trained by- what am I doing?! I might spoil the surprises yet to come! Or not. But anywhoo (I hate the word anywhoo so I put that in there to be ironic) I need to get on with the chapter. Lol

P.S. If anyone knows of a good minecraft servers tell me in the comments please! :D

P.S.S. If you know of Thalia and Jason Grace's mom's name (her whole name, not like ms. Grace or something- I mean her whole name like first, last, and maybe middle?) I don't think Riordan ever put her name in there.

P.S.S.S. This is going to be the chapter where Nico gets aggroed and all P. at Percy, and he's not really scared anymore, he's angry.

ON WITH THE CHAPTER

Chapter V

"I can't believe Percy would do that," I said, sitting on a piece of rubble that had fallen from the crumbing ceiling.

"Oh, he would. Of course," Minos replied. "The sons of Poseidon… you can never trust them."

"But Percy seemed so nice to me when we met; he was like a brother to me. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so angry at him…"

"No!" Minos snapped. "He ruined your life and killed your sister! How could you not be angry? How could you not want to take revenge?"

He had a point. Percy had killed Bianca, and it was my duty as her brother to avenge her. A warm feeling in my gut urged me with anticipation to settle the score.

"You're right Minos." I stated. "Percy deserves payback."

"Oh, yes." Minos grinned coldly. "Yes he does."

"Hm. So how do we get out of this Labyrinth? I asked, still confused of how the Labyrinth worked. At first I had thought it was merely a cave system.

"Ah, well…" Minos seemed stumped. "That is something I don't know. The Labyrinth is hard to navigate. That fool Daedalus almost couldn't get out of it himself. The only way to navigate it is to use common sense and take educated guess turns."

I didn't like that idea very much, but we didn't have anything else. "Ok, so where to?"

"I'm just a ghost! How am I supposed to know?"

I sighed with exasperation. "ok, I'll lead the way."

Minos and I traveled the labyrinth for a time that felt like hours, alternating twists and turns and randomly guessing which path to take. We arrived at a large corridor leading either north or south. "well, this is pretty straightforward," Minos said. "We keep walking. Why'd you stop?"  
"Minos, something doesn't seem right. This labyrinth is designed to trick us. We have to-" I froze. Something or somethings were coming. They were going to come right toward us.  
"Minos," I said in a harsh whisper. "Minos." I turned around to see why he wasn't answering, and there was a very good reason. He was gone. I was ditched by a ghost.  
Those things were coming quick now. I could just make out their voices.  
"Mother Hecate says to stay with Kronos, he is the key to our survival," a vaguely feminine voice said.  
"Yes. I don't think that the Olympians will be coming to their senses anytime soon," another said. There were at least two of the things. They sounded human, but something about the violent tinge in their voices and their presence seemed... Monstrous.  
"Hmm," a voice that made me jump. "Mother Hecate is the wisest. If she follows Kronos, we should too. We are her followers, after all." The voice was raspy and dry, as if it had been drained of water. I turned to run the other way through the corridor, but the way I came through was blocked. I was trapped. And the monsters were coming with great speed.  
"I don't think Luk-" I just turned around as soon as the monsters turned the corner leading into the corridor. There were two demons with flaming hair, fangs, and dresses, oddly enough, as if they were going to go to a prom night, but the weirdest thing was their legs: they had a barnyard animal's, (I didn't know which) and a prosthetic leg crafted out of bronze. The worst part was that the two demons flanked an even more powerful, horrible one. She had a withered, chalky-white face as if she had been drained of blood, and razor-sharp bronze fangs the size of small daggers. I was surprised that her head's weight didn't drag her to the ground. Her hands were silver claws, blunt yet dried blood covered them. She also wore a dress, but it was grotesquely stained and covered with body fluids from past victims, blood, slime, and some things I can't even mention. The smell was rank with rotting flesh, and her eyes... Her eyes were kaleidoscopic fireballs, with tinges of red, brown, and gold. Her hair was woven flame, white hot with heat, and her expression was beyond even pure hate.  
"Well, what have we here?" she rasped in that horrible, sickening voice of hers.  
"A demigod, perhaps a recruit for the Titan lord, or perhaps a snack for lucky empousa," she and her sister hissed in harmony.

"There shall be no killing of this one," the demon in the middle snarled, "He is much too powerful."

"You don't mean…"

"Yes," she growled. "He is a child of the big three. We may be able to use him."

I should have felt scared at this point, terrified. But I felt angered instead. Who was I to blame for this? Percy. If he didn't kill Bianca, I would still be living a happy life at Camp Half-Blood, not knowing anything of this foul place or these creatures who were trying to manipulate me. If Bianca was still alive, she could help me. Or at least guide me to where I need to go. But for now, I was unarmed. And I didn't like my chances against those 3 sets to fangs.

"Oh, this one is scared," the middle sprite hissed. "He wants a weapon, and maybe his mommy!" All the demonesses howled with laughter.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to be brave. "And how do you want to 'use' me?

The demonesses didn't stop their laughter except the middle one. "Oh, this one is smart!" She exclaimed, trying to keep a straight face. "You, my sweet precious demigod, are a child of the big three, as you already know." She smiled. "Kronos will be able to use you in the prophecy of that oracle's, and as for who I am…" Her hair turned even whiter with rising temperature. "I am Mormo, elder demoness. In ancient times, nurses used to tell the children under their care of me, to scare them into behaving. I put fear into the souls of thousands of people, and when the children grew up, they carried that fear. Oh, yes, they did. And those legends were true! I used to terrify villages, but alas, as the Titan War develops, I am stuck within the confines of Luke and his men. He keeps a close watch on me and my sisters, as being that he is scared of our power. Mother Hecate knows best, though, and she says that this war will pay off. When Kronos burns through Luke's body, he will give me and my siblings full reign of the world. We will be able to terrorize mankind again, and our rising is inevitable. Will you join us, young demigod, and prosper, or will you stay with the gods, and wither to a husk?"

The demon made sense.. why should I die by being with the gods? Then I told myself to snap out of it. She was altering my mind to fit her needs. Maybe her hair was cooking my brain with that searing heat coming off of it. I knew what to say. "No."

"Then…" she countered, "you shall _die_!" She lunged toward my face with incredible speed and accuracy. What was I thinking? I was defenseless. She was right. I was going to die.

Then, suddenly, a sword shot out of the floor. Its hilt was studded with silver and wrapped in polished black leather, its blade dark as midnight. It glowed in the darkness with a faint purple tinge. When Mormo saw the sword, she froze. "How- what?! You were unarmed at first!" She shrieked. Her sisters, the empousa, they called themselves, stepped back. Then Mormo seemed to realize something. I didn't know what, but she took a step back. "That blade… it's _Stygian Iron_, isn't it?" She seemed afraid of it. I decided to take advantage of her cowardliness.

"Yes, yes it is! If you don't step back, I'll swing it. I will!" I probably didn't seem very threatening. Mormo's confidence seemed to grow back, like a gecko that had lost its tail. "You… you're inexperienced. You don't know how to handle a sword." She sized me up with those fireball eyes. Then, she struck again. I was pretty sure I was dead, but just then, I sidestepped and jabbed the monster. Mormo erupted into ashes, except these weren't like the normal ones I'd seen when the Athena cabin had taken care of a drakon in the woods. (long story.) The ashes were dusty grey, and they were lit of fire. I cringed as the fiery remains of Mormo fell all around me. The remaining demonesses were gone. Maybe they had run at the death of their stronger sibling. I was pretty sure I was alone in the maze, until I heard a voice behind me.

"Good job," a familiar, cruel voice said. "I had thought you would be killed in _that_ battle."

I spun around, the sword still in my hands. "Minos."

"Yes, my boy. Good. Those demons won't be bothering us for long."

"But I thought- I thought-"

"I left you?" Minos countered, spot-on. "No, no. You had to learn how to fight monsters on your own. I couldn't be there to scare them away for you, now could I?"

He had a point there.

"It is an Ancient Law, and I am unfortunately confined to it. Now then, shall we press on?"

I nodded reluctantly, and we went spiraling into the labyrinth once again.

Thanks again for reviewing. Predictions? Comments? Hit that review button! Until the next chapter, StoryNerd13 here. :D


	6. Chapter 6

Oh my gods. Guys, I am so sorry for not updating for sooooo long. I couldn't decide what would happen next, I feel that most monsters were taken up in the original PjatO series, and I just had horrible problems with the plot that I was thinking of, so I took a break. I have been expressing my other thoughts in another fanfiction, Writer's Block, listed in the PJatO series. I got to feeling bad about leaving this FanFiction, but writing is hard. I used to be so snooty about FanFictions, I would be all "this SUCKS" and then I would go read another. I realized how hard it is to write a FanFiction that sounds _good_ over time, and so I took a while to clear my head. But the point is, I'm back :D and I think I will be able to finish this plot. Don't give up on me yet, guys.

Chapter 6

As soon as I reached towards my belt to show Minos the blade, where I had holstered my newfound weapon, I found myself grasping at a nonexistent sword. It had vanished, but in a strange manner. I could swear it was there before Minos and I walked through the dark, shadow-y corridor where Mormo and her gruesome sisters had apparently come from. Great timing. Well now I was left without a blade, and therefore unable to face the many dangers to come.

We came to a halt. This jostled me out of my thoughts well. I asked Minos,

"What?" with exasperation.

"Use your senses, boy," he replied in a harsh whisper.

"What? Monsters?" I whimpered with worry. Now that my sword was gone, I had no chance against any foe.

"No," Minos facepalmed. "Listen."

And so I did. There was nothing at first, and then a murmuring voice. It seemed fragmented in way, but I can't describe which. I could barely make out what it was trying to say. Something about finding "her". This guy needed to go on eHarmony.

Minos said suddenly but softly, "Do you know what this is?"

"Um… no?"

"A soul," he said with a hint of rage. "It has escaped the justice of the Underworld," he looked at me fiercely. "Use your powers."

"What powers?"

Minos sighed in exasperation. "_Your_ powers. Don't be naïve, boy. You are a child of one of the big three. You know what you have to do." He looked me up and down with expectation.

"Um… no. I'll let you handle this one."

"Do you really mean to tell me that they taught you nothing at that camp?"

"No, I-I guess not. Chiron told me to help clean the Hermes cabin, since I was underage to holster a weapon."

Minos laughed with amusement but with a slight, very slight twinge of anger. "Ha! Too young. In Sparta, they lets boys hold swords at the age of 8 to 10, depending on the household."

"I'm ten… but Chiron told me to-"

"That old horse-man doesn't know his hoof from his hand, boy. Do not listen to him. Listen to _me_.

I didn't like that idea very much, but it was the only one I had.

"Ok… so back to the subject?"

"Yes, yes. I suppose I will have to train you myself."

"So, what do we do?" I asked, a bit excited.

"You, not me. You must concentrate. Think of the earth and what lies beneath it. Below this labyrinth. Think of power, think of the dead rising back to life at your command. A flick of the wrist, boy. Try it."

I did. As if watching my signals, a skeleton warrior sprang to life, at first slowly, clawing at the air above, but very slowly rising out of the earth beneath the battered stone floor that lay at our feet. He grinned expectantly at me, as if he were a dog awaiting the command to fetch.

Minos smiled with pride, a look I had not seen on his translucent face before. His spear-shaped beard stood up as a smug smile came onto his mouth.  
"Yes boy. _He_ shall be your, eh, backup," He frowned at the iron-clad warrior with distaste. "Not much, but perhaps he will do. As you learn your powers, you will be able to summon more at once, but not too often. I imagine you are sapped of energy because of _this_."

He was right. I hated to admit, but my eyelids were feeling droopy from just summoning the one undead soldier, I wondered how I would ever be able to summon more.

As if reading my thoughts, Minos replied, "Oh don't fear. You will become better at this." He glanced at me with distaste so quickly, I could have sworn that it was my imagination, but I was confident it had happened.

The whispering of the lovesick soul had faded at first, but was now growing, almost with enthusiasm. I wondered how in the world, or in the Underworld, that I was going to deal with this soul. Minos certainly wouldn't help. He had gone on a rant about Ancient Laws earlier, and I knew better than to disturb him on this matter. I would have to defend myself, which was only fair. Now that Bianca was gone, I didn't have anyone to guard me.

"Now then," Minos continued, "shall we press on?"

So how did you guys like it? Did I make a good comeback? Review! It only takes a few seconds and you don't even have to be logged in!

-StoryNerd13 signing off, bye for now guys.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello once again audience (TOBUSCUS! XD) and welcome to another chapter of The Journey. I apologize for the short chapter last night, but I felt like it just needed to end there. (and partially because it was like 11:00 last night when I updated , yep, I'm devoted!) So here is the following chapter.

P.S. Thanks for the favorites!

"Sure," I replied with worry, "but how do we counter this thing?"

"This _thing_ is an escapee soul, I have already told you," Minos sighed. "I fear that assisting you with this will not be of my power, but perhaps you will, meh, _succeed_ with this task." He said this with an amused smile; as if he was completely sure I would fail.

"Ok, but what am I supposed to do? You do remember I have absolutely no experience."

Minos sighed. "I suppose you don't, much like everything else," he murmured. "You must-"

He was cut off by a horrible wail that echoed throughout the halls.

"What was that?"

"The spirit," Minos explained. "He draws near-" He was cut off by another wail.  
"I cannot stay any longer," Minos wheezed, but somehow I knew that his aura was strong. Why did he wheeze?  
Minos vanished into thin air before I had a chance to ask. I found it strange that he had disappeared at will, yet pretended that he was forced to leave, as if the Ancient Law he talked about was supposed to weaken his aura. I questioned the trustworthiness of this ghost. I didn't have any time to ponder it though, for the spirit was floating in front of me.  
He was dressed in a tattered, worn chiton that seemed like it used to have designs, but they had all turned grey with age. His blonde curly hair was in a rat's nest. The guy seemed about 18 or 20, and even though his sandals were worn and his arms were all scraped with dried scars, he wore a bright smile on his face, which I found to be a bit creepy. He cradled a small harp- no, what did they call it?- a lyre in the crook of his right arm like it was the most precious thing ever to hit the earth.  
I was a bit frightened by the smile he wore, but I tried my best to muster up some courage. I did the polite thing. I said hi.  
"Um... Hello? Mister?"  
His voice was raspy and scarred with frustration.

"Hello," he harshly whispered. He looked me up and down, glaring daggers. Finally he spoke again with newfound anger and contempt. "A child of... Hades," he said, "What a nice... surprise."  
I felt like a kaleidoscope, with shards of glass rolling around inside of me. This had been about the third mention of my father so far, and I felt like a failure. It had been so long since the original day of the quest, as my stomach had told me multiple times. I wondered how I wasn't dead from starvation yet. But the way this guy addressed me, as if he knew 'my type', as many teachers at Westover Hall had told me. This usually ended up in detention, even though I hadn't done anything wrong. The ghost was still eyeballing me warily, as if waiting for the right moment to strike, despite him being unarmed.  
"Sure, um, sir. Who exactly are- were you?"  
The spirit let out another horrible wail.  
"I used to be the finest musician in Greece, if you must. Until the death of my wife, Eurydice." He sounded so bitter and torn, and it was hard not to feel sympathy. But I knew this myth. It couldn't be...  
"Orpheus? Shouldn't you be in Punishment?" I didn't know how I knew this, but it felt right to say. But what was Punishment? I had a feeling that it wasn't lowercase p punishment, but I was talking about a place. What? This was all very confusing.  
"Until your father damned me there!" he said this with such rage, I jumped a few inches back. "Oh, yes boy, but I have escaped! I will take my revenge on the treacherous underworld, starting with its spawn!" I braced myself for an attack, but he had no sword, only his lyre and he began to play his lyre. I guess you want to know what it sounded like, but I don't remember. All I knew that when he was playing, I was powerless against his magic. As soon as the very tips of his fingers touched the strings of that lyre, I froze, hypnotized by the lyrics and melody entwining. I tried to fight against the music, but Orpheus was too powerful, even after death. I couldn't do anything about it. Orpheus's face smirked with malicious delight.  
"Foolish son of Hades. Did you reply think you could beat me? I am already dead. No metal can harm me. Those ever-so-dense nymphs I hypnotized didn't stand a chance. I've always had the favor of your stepmother... As those nymphs did too," he sneered, with a hint of jealousy in his voice. I wondered, off task, if Orpheus was miffed that he died, like it was an insult to his ego. But Orpheus had stopped playing. I was free. Why had he stopped? I opened my eyes to see the skeleton warrior I had summoned fighting with Orpheus, his stone sword clashing against Orpheus's wooden one. I guess Orpheus didn't need to fight with a sword, he fought with his music instead. The skeleton warrior's combat skills bested Orpheus's by a long shot, but his skeleton-bone build was unraveling by the second. I didn't want the skeleton warrior to get harmed. I had summoned him, after all, in the first place, so if he disintegrated it would be my fault.  
I jumped into the fray. Call me stupid, call me impulsive, but I jumped. And a familiar black-metal sword materialized from the shadows into my hand. In mid-air, I swung the sword and nearly missed the top of Orpheus's ghostly head.  
He turned around swiftly, looking around in bewilderment. "What was that?" he knocked down the Skeleton warrior again. Behind him, I quietly crouched, waiting for my chance to strike. "Where are you, son of Hades?"  
I lifted my sword steadily, and poised above his neck. He froze, but didn't turn around. "Oh. Is that.. Celestial Bronze?" he asked hopefully.  
It was now my turn to be smug. "Nope."  
"Imperial Gold? Are you a Roman?"  
That caught me off guard. "What? A Roman? What do you mean?"  
"Oh- um- nothing. You're obviously a Greek from that *other* camp, Camp Half Blood or whatever. They didn't have camps like that when I was a kid, let me tell you, I-"  
"Don't try to detain the law of the Underworld, Orpheus. This blade is Stygian Iron, for your information, and it can pass the barrier of even death to harm someone." I didn't know where I was getting these words from, but they seemed good, so I rolled with it. "You've had your chance, Orpheus. You failed to bring your wife back the first time you tried. It is my duty as a son of Hades to bring you to justice." With those words, I stabbed my sword into the ground. For a scary second, nothing happened. Orpheus made a mad dash for his lyre a few meters away. Suddenly, the chasm rumbled, and a strange light shone from the newfound crack that had split the room in two. Orpheus let out a horrible wail, and was sucked into the void. The roof shattered above me, and I was shot upward toward the night sky.

I landed clumsily onto the hard grass. My phantom sword had been tossed free, and Minos was nowhere to be seen. I inched forward slowly to see a bright-lit city in the distance, but tripped. I glanced behind me, but there was nothing there except a rose bush and a few willow trees. I could have sworn there was a presence that had tripped me, since I could feel I didn't trip myself, and there were no protruding areas from the ground.  
"Who-who's there?" I asked my voice a little shaky. Yours would be too, if you had just ripped a hole in the earth and gotten rid of a really evil, yet dedicated musician. When I was pretty sure I had gone crazy, yelling at the night air, I felt a splintering, rough pressure on my back, opposite my heart.  
I heard a gasp. Not an "Oh my gods, a surprise party? For me?" gasp, an "Oh my gods, what the Mt. Olympus?" gasp, with a hint of disgust.  
"A son of- of- ah!" A light feminine voice exclaimed, joined by many others. I didn't have time to process this though, for the rough pressure against my back scooped me up and tossed me into one of the willow trees.  
"Not in my branches, you don't!" Another rough presence tossed me, this time into a nearby pond. I heard two screams; mine and a feminine one. I found myself face-to-face with a girl under the water. She looked me up and down, then frowned, like the sight of me was unsavory. The water immediately surged around me and knocked me onto the grass. Another voice said, "Aug! Not in my home! My flowers will shrivel up and die, Hydria, you sabotaging naiad!"  
The girl that I saw in the pond surfaced and yelled back, "Oh Hercy, calm your sod down! If he swims in my pond, the cute little froggies will die!" She promptly scooped up a toad and kissed it on it's snout. It recoiled and leapt back into the cat tails.  
A girl appeared right next to one if the willow trees and yelled back, "Shut up! Can a dryad get some sleep around here, huh?" then she saw me and exclaimed, "What's he doing here?! Get the Underworld kid out of our fine garden!" a girl from the rosebushes kicked me in the sjin, causing me to fall onto a cement path I didn't see before. The grass girl, I think her name was Hercy, Yelled at the sky, "We have enough trouble already, just barely surviving in this horribly-irrigated park on the brink of Las Vegas, the national center of pollution, but now this Hades scum is in our way?! Come on!" She shook her fist at the clouds for dramatic effect. Thunder rumbled, and suddenly rain poured down from the heavens. All the nymphs rejoiced, while I stood there silently still, since I was already sopping wet from the pond. But this rain stung, almost as if someone had plugged each droplet with an iPhone charger. Under the starry night sky, I ran desperately towards the bright city up ahead.

So how did you guys like it? Review and comment if you want, and again, sorry I haven't been updating regularly, I'm pretty busy at the moment, but whenever I get time I will write some more, a few twists and turns up ahead for poor young-TTC-era Nico di Angelo :/  
Stay tuned! xD

-StoryNerd13


	8. Chapter 8

No intro this time, sorry :P I have a cold, but I managed to muster this chapter out :)

I ducked into an alleyway as soon as the rain stopped. Yeah, great timing. At Camp Half Blood, they say to get to an advantage point, such as a tree for the night while questing. That's another thing they got wrong. I had ran all the way to the city in the distance, which, as the nymphs had said, was Las Vegas. I remembered faintly that I had been here before, but on the other side of the strip maybe? No matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find the resort that Bianca and I had stayed in. Oh gods... Just thinking about Bianca made me depressed and bitter. She was always so happy and lively. Even if I was an annoying little brat sometimes. She put up with me through all those years and now she was just.. gone. I had to do something about it, but what? What could I do about death? Maybe I could... free her? Could I do that? Orpheus had escaped. But why would his escaping be illegal and Bianca's not? Oh... Just thinking about it made me tired. Judging by the light, it was about 12:30 to 1:00 am. Gods, I was so tired too, but there was nowhere to sleep. I certainly wasn't going to sleep in an alley, I had enough dignity left for that. If I slept in an alley, that would complete the "bum" image. I was pretty sure I looked horrible, and I hadn't eaten in days. My hair was in shambles, and my skin had paled a bit from being in the Labyrinth. I was completely starved to *almost* death, and my jeans were in tatters. The Camp Half Blood I had previously wore had been destroyed, and I was almost glad. Almost. Getting away from that camp does not equal being shirtless. Exhausted mentally and physically, I blacked out on a Casino doorstep.  
My dreams haunted me once again. This time, they were just an echo of what had happened before. I was back at Camp Half Blood. Friday night- Capture the Flag. Chiron was standing (in centaur form) with a horn in his hand, ready to start the games. It was supposed to be a good game tonight, and a miracle since Ares had made a pact with Athena and Hermes, which is something everyone thought they'd never do. Anyways, since I was unclaimed, I was in the Hermes cabin, so it was supposed to be an even bigger deal to me, but I didn't really care. All I cared about was trying not to get skewered by the blue team, which, subsequently, had been all the other cabins; Apollo, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Demeter, and some others. The gear they handed out was about 2 sizes too big for me to wear, but I put it on anyways. The celestial bronze sword weighed a ton. Everyone else was palling around and having a great time, while I quietly figured out how to strap my armor on correctly.  
Chiron then blew the horn, and both teams raced into the woods. I trudged along in my armor as fast as I could, but had to stop after about 20 meters. Gods, this armor was heavy! I made it over *eventually* to a creek. I was going to kneel over and take a sips_, but a spout of water smacked me in the face before I could get close.  
I pressed on. Finally I came to a clearing where all the leaves had wilted and fallen off the trees. The grass was yellow and the dirt was dry. I set my sword down and kneeled on the ground. There was some kind of mark on the ground, a print of some sort. Even though at Westover, they had an entire collection of animal prints and tracks, I still couldn't identify it. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. I froze. Chiron had warned us all of monsters in the woods. I reached down for the heavy bronze sword, but it wasn't there. I was unarmed and being hunted. Even if I did have my sword with me, I probably wouldn't even be able to lift it up. The bushes rustled again. Slowly I turned around, one eye closed in fright. I opened the other eye and thought, "Welp, nice knowing you world. Buh-bye." When I had both eyes open, I found myself staring at a soldier dressed in full black iron armor. I peered through his helmet's visor, and found myself face to face with a grinning skeleton. He was a foot taller than me, with a sharpened bone sword hanging at his side in a black leather scabbard. I probably said something like "Uh- duh- um- *gulp* what?" The skeleton warrior kneeled hastily, then raced off, gesturing for me to follow. I could have ran the other direction. I could have yelled for help. But no, I had to follow the skellington. After about 5 minutes of running, (I took my armor off), the skeleton stopped at a pile of rocks. I stood there in confusion. "  
"Wha-What?" I asked. "Who are you? Why did you stop here?"  
The skeleton just tilted his head at me. He then tapped the rocks like there was some significance to the pile.  
"What? I don't underst-" I was cut off by the skeleton drawing his sword and hissing. I took a step back, but the skeleton wasn't gunning for me. The big girl from the Ares cabin, Claris or something, with two other burky girls from the Ares cabin, scrambled out of the shrubbery.  
She yelled, "A spartus!" and cursed in ancient Greek. Then they all attacked the skeleton warrior. I jumped in front of the skeleton warrior, trying to protect it, but there was no use. I blacked out with the sounds of a skeleton warrior being torn apart and girls screaming around me.  
I awoke again in the camp's infirmary, a straw leading to a glass of nectar propped into my mouth. I groaned in agony. "Ugh, what happened?" I muttered. A few satyrs were milling around the room, but no one answered my question. Then the doors opened, and Chiron wheeled himself in (he was in - guess it?- wheelchair form.)  
"Ah, Nico di Angelo. You're... up." he didn't seem very pleased.  
"Yeah," I half-groaned. "What happened to the-"  
"Spartus? Disintegrated. You're lucky, my boy. Those things are evil, a primal force of-"  
"It was protecting me," I countered. It was my turn to cut him off now. "It lead me to this pile of rocks and wasn't doing anything wrong. It was-" I groaned again as I straightened myself and sat up. "- helping me."  
Chiron's face suddenly got serious. He wheeled away- very subtly, but enough that I could notice- away from my bed. "Oh," he whispered in a meek voice. Then he seemed to regain his composure. "Perhaps you were hallucinating. You were unarmed. The spartus leapt out of the bushes and decided to attack you. Luckily, Clarisse, Zoey, and Selina came to save you. And that's all there is to it." He turned around in his wheelchair and left the room, leaving me sitting up in bed confronting nothing but thin air.  
I then woke up from my dream, but not in the same place I fell asleep. I was in an air-conditioned casino, with people milling about, carrying trays full of heaping baskets of fruit, cotton candy, ice cream, and- were those Jaffa cakes?- They didn't sell those in America, as far as I knew. I took one off a tray and started munching. I became aware of my surroundings again. I was propped on a lounge sofa, facing a girl about 18 or 20. She turned to face me and said, "Hello, Nico di Angelo. I am Tyche, goddess of fortune and luck."

Cliffhanger! Well, not really. But still. Review? Plz? It takes like 1 minute and I could use the support, to know that you guys are reading this. Bye for now,

StoryNerd13 xD


	9. Chapter 9

Hi guys, and welcome back for another chapter of The Journey. Sorry I haven't been updating, but I have finished The Kane Chronicles- Throne of Fire, and the Red Pyramid, and I'm going to get The Serpent's Shadow soon, so stay tuned. Also with a bit of a spoiler for the end of tToF, Rick Riordan just earned the trollface- kills and thrills award. I would just like to say on the behalf of I am a Yognaught, …

I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole, diggy diggy hole, I'm digging a hole, and Bes's memory will forever live on. Dx

To the chapter. (It's kind of short, but I might write another chapter today after this one.)

I probably said something really intelligent after that, like, "Uh... Wha?" Tyche smiled and got up off the sofa. Her dress shimmered in an emerald green and golden yellow color, reflecting the casino's lights above. I realized with a gasp that her dress was actually made out of dollar bills and drachmas, flowing with ease like when someone hits the jackpot at a lotto machine.  
Tyche smiled coldly. "What do you want, Nico di Angelo?" I shivered when she said my last name with a hint of anger, you usually don't want that from a goddess who could turn you into dust with a flick of the wrist.  
I regained my composure. "Uh-um- I don't want anything, -um- my lady."  
That seemed like something proper to call a goddess.  
Tyche sneered. "No one comes to ask me for nothing, Mr. Di Angelo. They always want something... Or want to set some odds right."  
"What would I want to set right?"  
"Your sister's death. Your father's share. Your mother's fate. Alas, I cannot correct these things. Take them up with Mt. Olympus, go ask Zeus. But Punishment if he'll do anything about it."  
Her words struck me like a lightning bolt. "Wh-what? What about my family?"  
She smiled, and I realized it wasn't just out of contempt for me. "Ah yes, my.. Projects."  
"What projects?"  
"Well, I'm the goddess of fortune aren't I? I can decide who gets the goods and who's life to make miserable," she looked me up and down. "For 5 millennia, I have stuck with Zeus and his children for the win. Poseidon second. His children have to earn their fame. But Hades..." She made a clicking sound with her tongue. "I have no compassion for him.. Or his children."  
"But that's not fair!"  
"Who said fortune was fair? Look at the CA lottery. You have about 1/5,000,000 chance to win. Is that fair?"  
"No, but-"  
Tyche sighed. "Nico, when the world was spilt up eons ago between the powerful sons of Kronos, your father got the... bitter end. My doing, of course. It was so amusing to see his anger at having his birthright being stolen." She tittered with amusement.  
"I- that- but why?"  
She smirked. "I don't know. It was funny to see his dreams get squandered." 2 cotton candies whizzed by, floating in the air. "Ah, here they are. Take a bite of this blue one. The past is yet to come."  
Looking back on this, I wished I hadn't taken a bite. I crumpled to my knees instantly, but my consciousness was still intact. Visuals of people winning and losing flew by. I saw a guy hitting the jackpot at a casino, Steve Jobs presenting an iPhone. I saw the Mayflower landing and Julius Caesar being stabbed to death. I saw an Ancient Greek marketplace where a man sold sandals and made a fortune, while another man lay in the gutters with a bottle of wine. The scenes passed on until I came to a stone pavilion.  
3 guys were standing in the middle. One was dressed in white and blue, the other in gold and green. The third was dressed simply in all black and didn't have a beard, unlike the other two. The one in white and blue held 3 straws in his hand. He looked nervous, but confident also. The one dressed in green and gold looked indifferent, and the one dressed in black stared coldly at the one in white and blue.  
"Brother," the one in green and gold sighed, "is this really the smartest way to divide the world? Lives are at stake here, and you want to draw sti-"  
The one in white and blue cut him off. "Poseidon, hush. This is a fair way to determine the realms without bloodshed. The Fates have seen a... great future." He smiled, but not out of brotherly love.  
The one in black murmured, "The Fates have seen a great future for you.."  
"What was that, Hades?"  
"I said the Fates have seen a great future for you, Zeus, not us. You want to be the one on top. You are not going to play this fair."  
Zeus seemed amused and tried to play it innocent. "Whatever made you think that? Now, lets draw straws, shall we?"  
Hades scowled, but straightened and agreed. Poseidon raised an eyebrow but said nothing and went first. He pulled a medium-length string out of Zeus's hand.  
"I'm guessing this is the ocean?" He asked.  
"I believe so," Zeus smiled.  
Hades said nothing, but I could feel the tension in the air growing.  
Zeus offered, "You first," and I tested to yell out, but my voice wouldn't work. This was just a memory of what had happened between the gods in the past.  
Hades hovered his fingers above the straws for a bit, and then pulled out a shorter on than Poseidon's had been.  
Hades half-whispered, "No.." And Zeus beamed- literally. He took the remaining straw out of his palm to show the other two, and smiled. "Looks like I get the sky."  
Hades just stared at the ground. "You tricked me. You knew this would happen!"  
Zeus did nothing but smile further. "You agreed, Hades. It is not my fault whatsoever."  
Poseidon shrugged and stepped out of the pavilion and into the ocean. With a wave of his hand, he disappeared into sea mist.  
Zeus, still in the pavilion with Hades, smiled (for the 100th time) and tried to look Hades eye-to-eye.  
Hades wouldn't take his gaze off the cold stone floor. "Why? Why did I agree to your terms?" He whispered bitterly. Zeus just raised his hand to the air and spoke, "I will be on Mt. Olympus if you need me," and he disappeared with a flash of lightning. Hades walked out of the pavilion, obviously still shaken by what had just happened.  
My vision zoomed back to the present, and I got up off the velvet floor. Tyche reached out to help me up, but I pushed her hand away.  
"What.. What was that?"  
"The division of the world. I thought you might want to see it for yourself."  
"That was.. That was horrible! What.. You said you made that happen. Why? Why would you do such a thing?"  
Tyche shrugged. "For kicks. And I didn't do all of it, I just... Gave Zeus a few tips on fortune. But I can take those tips away at any time."  
Then it dawned on me. "You work for Kronos."  
"Work may be too harsh a word, but yes, I guess you could say I'm... On his side."  
"Why?"  
"I choose my battles, Mr. di Angelo. I also choose and switch the ones I sponsor."  
"You haven't switched in 5 millennia!" I cried.  
Tyche shrugged again, indifferent. "Perhaps." She plucked a Jaffa off a silver tray. If you wish to forget the scene, you can always take a bit of this. It will erase your memory of certain events. You can see the world in a more positive attitude.  
What was this, freaking Alice in Wonderland? Why was she offering me cotton candy that would show me past events and Jaffas that would erase them? I swatted the Jaffa swiftly out of her hand and it fell to the floor. She scowled.  
"I am a goddess, Nico di Angelo. I have taken a promise never to harm a demigod, but I can curse you. That I can do."  
She glared daggers at me, and I got up to leave. When I was inches away from the door, she started to recite, "Then Nico di Angelo, hear the words of Tyche. You shall never obtain a hero's destiny, and when your death comes, no one will be there to acknowledge you. You shall spend the rest of your life being an outcast of the Greeks and Romans. The rest of your life, you will be a miserable oddball, wandering through the world alone.  
I was halfway out the door when she finished the curse. I didn't know if she was bluffing or not, but I knew what to say.  
"I already had that fate, Tyche." And that's when I slammed the door and stepped back into the harsh, cold world of reality.

So what did you think? Leave a review please, and even flames are appreciated here. I wrote this on my iPhone 4S, so if you find any errors, don't take them too seriously, Autocorrect was messing with me today.

Bye for now,

StoryNerd13.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys! StoryNerd13 here again, with another chapter of _The Journey_! No really big changes in plot, but they are coming soon to a FanFiction near you!

No reviews *sadface* but I'm not going to whine about it, just a polite reminder to R&R. Thanks :D

~ Chapter 10 ~

I wasn't too far away from Tyche's casino when Minos reappeared.  
"About time," I shrugged.  
He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.  
I sighed with exhaustion and lied down on the cold, hard cement of Vegas, casino lights flashing around me.  
Was Tyche's curse real or was she just bluffing? Gods, I didn't know. It seemed real, but the goddess of casinos would probably have a few tricks up her sleeve.  
Slowly but surely, I drifted into the taunting world of dreams.  
I was back in the park where those nymphs had attacked me. Now, they looked as peaceful as ever, but my instincts told me to keep a low profile. Hercy was tending to the grass and Hydria was petting a very unhappy- looking frog. The only thing out of place was that I couldn't see Las Vegas below. Only 2 small cities separated by a huge wall. Other than that, everything was quiet.  
Suddenly, a lioness sprang out of the bushes, roaring at a girl cowering in fright. The lioness mouthed a piece of fabric, maybe a cloak? A scarf? It was bloody and dampened from a previous kill's remains still spattered on the she-beast's maw. The girl whimpered in fright, and for some reason, the lioness ran off. Maybe she had pity on the girl or realized that it would be easier to hunt down a deer or something. Whatever the reason, the girl looked around cautiously and strolled back in the direction that the lioness had scared her off from. She trampled over a few nymphs in the way, I guess she was a mortal and just didn't see them. The Mist could do stuff like that, cover up the mythological part of the world so all the mortals and people who had nothing to do with it wouldn't get totally freaked out every time they walked down the street. Some of the nymphs cussed her out, but she obviously didn't hear them. She started to run out of the clearing, and I followed. About 4 minutes later, I stopped still in my tracks.  
A faint buzz reeled throughout my senses. Someone had died.  
I ran forward, gripping my sword in its scabbard. When I came to another clearing, a guy laid unconscious and bloody. A hunting knife was jabbed in the frontal side of his rib, blood flowing between his clothes and flesh. His hand lay gently on the blade. It was a horrifying sight. At his side lay the cloak that the she-lion had been gnawing on. The girl that had ran from the she-lion sprinted to him with distraught, and pulled the bloody knife from his side. She took one last look at the his closed eyes and his open mouth, and she stabbed herself with the knife in her back. I turned briefly as she crumpled to the ground next to the other fallen youth. I turned back, my fingers tingling. I advanced a step, and with one swift motion, drew my sword. It glistened in the night. Taking another step in to examine the corpses, I noticed saddening details.  
They were not more than 18, and both of them wore their best clothes, as if this were the first time they would see each other. My sword seemed to be drawn towards the people, it still glistening. I looked closer at it. That's when it occurred to me- I didn't have a sword earlier in this dream. Staring even more sternly now, I realized it wasn't a sword at all. It shimmered like a hologram, and when I tried to cut myself with it, just a nick of my fingertip, it hurt, like someone had jabbed me with a paper clip, but no blood. It flickered constantly like a mirage. I was going to investigate further, but something stopped me. It was the mulberry tree where both the boy and girl fell in front of. The berries were turning red. Almost as if.. the bush was draining the blood from the corpses.  
At first the berries were white as freshly fallen snow. Now they were a gruesome cherry red, like someone had given them a syringe of Kool-Aid.  
I took a step back as the two people's bodies withered into nothingness. They were shriveling up, their skin becoming like paper. With a gust of wind, both bodies turned into dust and disintegrated into the night air, but something wasn't right.  
Even though I only discovered my powers a few days ago, I still could tell exactly when a soul was released and if they made it safely to the Underworld. Their souls were still here. Confused, I turned around and tried to examine further, when suddenly I heard a voice behind me.  
"What issss thissss?! A sssson of Hadessssss?"  
I turned around quickly to find a pair of claws ripping me out of my dream.

I woke up with a start, yelping slightly. It was morning, and even though it was warm and temperate, the sun was covered by a cloud, making the world seem to go dark. I looked around, but Minos was nowhere *again*. I got up and brushed my shirt off. I had just been handed a quest.  
I hailed a cab to the clearing. As soon as I got in, the driver gave me a dirty look and asked,  
"You have money to pay for the ride?"  
Behind the wheel was lean, perky redhead with a slim motorcycle leather jacket. She tugged at her sleeves with one hand and reached into her pocket with another, and pulled out a rouge-red lipstick. She glanced at me skeptically. I started,  
"Um.." and glanced into the rear-view mirror, realizing why she'd asked me that. Besides me being only 10, alone, and getting into a cab, I looked a horrid mess. My clothes were ripped and torn from monster attacks, and my right sleeve had been completely singed off from Mormo. My face and arms were covered with grime, and my generic Camp Half-Blood t-shirt read now: "C m a loo " I really hated the t-shirt. Orange was not my color. My black hair, once combed (a miracle, right?) was blown in a million different directions by the wind. Suddenly I felt very self-conscious.  
The driver raised an eyebrow and repeated,  
"You have money to pay for the ride?"  
I confessed, "No," and hung my head in shame (I can be a persuasive little sadass when I need to.)  
The driver stared me cold with her piercing black eyes, as dark as a hopeless dream. I inched a little back in my seat. Her face showed no expression and yet it looked vaguely familiar. I knew her from some place, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  
She stared at me further, and pursed her lips.  
"You seem like a pretty good kid. Where to?"  
I couldn't believe my luck. Me getting free transportation? Forget it. But I said,  
"Wow.. Thank you miss! Um, I don't know the exact address, but it's-"  
"Oh, I know exactly where it is."  
And with those words, the cab sped off.

So how did you like it? Good chapter? Yes? No? Maybe so?

:D Also a PJO and HOO trivia contest: How many Furies (yeah I got swag not gonna call the Kindly Ones that's BS) are there and what are their names?

*hint cough cough Furies entering this FanFic soon hint hint cough*

-StoryNerd13 :D


	11. Chapter 11

OMG its… an update within 48 hours :O

Hi guys StoryNerd13 here again, with another chapter! It's a bit short today, but I am going to get _The Serpent's Shadow_ today and I wanted to get another chapter out before I read it! Also Son of Sobek is on my PreOrder xD

So enjoy the chapter!

The whole time we were speeding through Vegas, the cab driver didn't take her foot off the acceleration pedal once. Every time another car got in our way, she gritted her teeth and swerved. Then she stuck her head out the window and yelled curses... in Ancient Greek. I nervously wondered how in the world a cab driver that looked about 30 learned a language that was 5 millennia old.  
17 gut-wrenching, heart-tearing swerves, screams, and tugs on a motorcycle jacket's sleeves later, the cab finally ground to a halt. When I got out, the first thing I noticed was that the tires were shredded to ribbons. The once-yellow paint on the cab had been mostly scraped off, and a headlight was missing. The cab driver got out also, shaking her head and clicking her tongue in disapproval.  
"Tsk, tsk. These mortal cabs never last long," she muttered, and with a wave of her hand, the cab burst into a white-hot fireball.  
I watched as the cab disintegrated and melted into a pile of dust. The cab driver looked at me and smiled slightly.  
"I believe this is your stop."  
She was right. Toppling above us was a hill covered in green mass, trees and bushes sticking out like zits. I looked at the driver nervously. How did she know exactly where I was going? And how in the world did she make the cab spontaneously combust? I stuttered,  
"Um, yes, miss. Thank you. I wish I had some money to pay you, but um.."  
She shook her head and laughed slightly. "No, no, it's fine. I'm getting paid wonderfully by my employer."  
I straightened. "And exactly who is your employer?"  
She clicked her tongue again. "You don't realize by now?"  
"Your face rings a bell."  
She tilted her head back and laughed. Not an evil laugh or a good one, just an amused-by-your-stupidity laugh.  
"You'll find out soon enough, in the meantime, ciao!"  
She burst into a fireball like the cab had, except these flames were pure, unadorned black.  
I was about to start up the hill when a cold presence brushed my shoulder.  
Without turning around, I said,  
"Minos."  
He floated in front of me. "Yes master, it's me. I see you have your template."  
I stood there for a moment, confused by what he said, until I followed his line of sight to my hip pocket.  
Buckled there was a black-leather scabbard, and inside it was...  
"My sword!"  
Minos shook his head. "Sorry to inform you, lord, but that's not a sword, that's a template."  
"What?"  
"A template. You see master," he approached slowly, "this is the template for a sword. Not just any sword though, this template is particularly a Stygian Iron one." He licked his ghostly lips as if the sight of it made him hungry.  
"What do I do with it?"  
"Nothing at the moment, but after you have forged the blade-"  
He was cut off by a screaming I somehow knew was a nymph's.  
"Let's go, Minos. Hate to see the nature troupe get startled."

I made my way through the forest circling the hill with Minos trailing not too far behind. Every time a branch blew into his face, he dissipated and reformed a few feet ahead.  
"Bloody leaves," he muttered. "Why in Punishment do we have to go through a forest, of all things?"  
I tried to stifle my giggling from Minos's discontent. It was pretty hilarious.  
On the way up we ran into some nymphs. A girl in grey melted into a boulder, while a tree randomly started swatting at the air. The tree, with two branches jutting out like arms, swung wildly until it made a clasping motion with the twigs.  
A tinny female voice started up,  
"Eeh! A ghost!"  
And I heard more cussing from Minos. At least most of the nymphs didn't notice me with Minos around.  
When we finally reached the top of the hill, there was the mulberry bush, it's berries gloating their rouge coloring.  
"Styx! Godsdammit, again, why is there always a forest! Bad enough it had to be noon, ugh!" For a person who'd been dead for a few millennia, he sure was up-to-date with his curses.  
I called, "Come along Minos!"  
I was treated to some more spirit-colorful language.  
When Minos finally got to the top, I pondered, "Where are they?"  
Minos replied, "*scoff* probably gallivanting around the clearing with their spears and such."  
That caught me off guard. "What?"  
"The dracaena."  
I gave Minos a puzzled look.  
He seemed to realize we weren't exactly on the same page, and if ghosts could pale, he certainly did.  
"Oh," he answered. "You weren't... Who are you searching for then?"  
I paused for a second to let that question seep in. Who was I searching for? The people in my dream? Their ghosts? Heck, I didn't even know their names.  
"Uh... Well... I had a dream, and w-"  
I was cut off by another scream that had to be a nymph's.  
I turned around to find Minos had left and I was alone with only my sword-template.  
"Um... Hello? Anyone here?"  
"Hello, Mr. Di Angelo," a solemn voice said.  
I whipped back and saw the two people who dead in my dream. I don't mean saw them like they were ghosts- they were flesh and blood. Really flesh and blood. They hadn't been cleaned up since their suicide pact, and with their arms both outstretched, they looked like zombies.  
I was almost too stunned to speak. "Uh.. Hi," I managed with a squeak.  
"Hello, I suppose you've come to wreak your 'justice', haven't you," he crooned. "I suppose we've been here in this grove long enough, haven't we, Thisbe?"  
The girl whined, "It's quite peaceful here, Pyramus, I like it. Stop complaining. That's all you ever do now, complain for the last several millennia! As far as I'm concerned, you can go to The Fields of Asphodel on your own!" And with a "hrm!" She turned her back and held her nose up.  
Pyramus cupped his mouth and jabbed a thumb at Thisbe. "This one is the complainer. Been nagging me ever since we died to clean myself up," he whisper-snickered.  
I nervously looked at his bloody side and back to his face. "Um... Why aren't you guys... In the Underworld or something?"  
Both tilted their heads as if really pondering the question. "Why aren't we... Hm. I dunno."  
"Thisbe, we're not in the Underworld because even Hades can't get you to shut up!"  
"Why you little... If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be dead!"  
"Who says we're dead?"  
I cleared my throat and said, "Ahem, um, well, technically, um, you should be dead."  
"Oh, but that's silly!" Thisbe trilled. "We can't possibly be dead."  
"And um, why not?"  
"We're too much in love!" She promptly gave Pyramus a peck on the cheek. He gazed lovingly back at her. This had to be a joke. What kind of people go into an insult war and come out kissing? But they just smiled and kept whispering sweet nothings to each other.  
"Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to release you now."  
"See what you did, Pyramus? You just got us a one-way ticket to the Underworld!"  
"What I did?! It wasn't me, it was you!"  
"No!"  
"Yeah."  
They went back and forth like two little kids until Thisbe asked me, "Son of Hades, what do you think?"  
I stared at both of them for a couple of seconds and then determined, "You're both wrong," and jabbed my template into the ground, creating a link to the Underworld's soul-reigning power. I looked up again to see that... They were still there.  
"Foolish demigod," Pyramus spat. "Did you really think that would work? We are not just any spirits, we are a couple of the restless dead, the souls who inhibit their past bodies, roaming the earth in search of salvation, and now, Nico di Angelo, we will destroy you."

How did you like it? R&R plz :D it helps me on how to make the story better! Also, did anyone see the cover for tHoH yet? OMG it is SUCH a percabeth moment… I think. And I also think we are going to be getting a Percy or Annabeth POV in tHoH too! (evn though I was really hoping for a Nico one :P)

Bai guys! Review please :D


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